The Proposed Utility "Wildfire Expense Balancing Account

In 2009, California electrical utilities PG&E, SCE and SDG&E proposed creating a formal mechanism through which they could recover liability losses from wildland fires from ratepayers regardless of whether or not they were responsible for starting the fires. MGRA and other parties opposed this proposal, noting that it creates a moral hazard by reducing incentive for safe operation.

The WEBA proposal was rejected by the CPUC in December 2013, based in part upon testimony provided by the M-bar Technologies and Consulting expert, Dr. Joseph Mitchell.